1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ethanol preparations for food preservation, which exhibit a superior effect upon food preservation. More particularly it relates to ethanol preparations for food preservation, characterized by having a polylysine added to anhydrous ethanol or a water-containing ethanol in an ethanol concentration of 30% by weight or higher, or by having a polylysine salt added to a water-containing ethanol in an ethanol concentration of 30% by weight or higher.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been experientially known from old times that ethanol inhibits growth of microorganisms, and ethanol has been widely used for hygienic control of food factories or as a countermeasure to food preservation.
Further, there have been used ethanol preparations for food preservation having added to ethanol, an agent for improving food preservation, for example natural or synthetic food additives such as organic acids e.g. fumaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, etc., sodium salts of these acids, sodium chloride, calcium oxide, glycine, lower fatty acid esters e.g. glycerine fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, etc.
However, such ethanol preparations for food preservation having the above-mentioned agent for improving food preservation added to ethanol have a drawback that they are inferior in the antiseptic effect upon yeasts; thus it is the present status that ethanol preparations for food preservation also having a superior antiseptic effect upon yeasts have been desired to be developed.
The present inventors have made extensive research in order to develop ethanol preparations for food preservation having a superior antiseptic effect not only upon various bacteria and molds but also upon yeasts. As a result, we have found that ethanol preparations having a polylysine added to anhydrous ethanol or a water-containing ethanol in an ethanol concentration of 30% by weight or higher or ethanol preparations having, a polylysine salt added to a water-containing ethanol in an ethanol concentration of 30% by weight or higher have a superior antiseptic effect not only upon various bacteria and molds, but also upon yeasts, and have achieved the present invention based upon the above finding.